Finding SoulMates
by astridt244
Summary: Joining a dating website after a bad break-up... What could go wrong? (AH-AU-Drabble-Style) - Intense WIPs Writer's Block. Clearing out the dust bunnies.
1. Chapter 1

**Finding SoulMates**

**Chapter One**

* * *

Bella stared at the computer screen, willing the words to come to her. _Why was it so difficult to type information about her likes and dislikes?_ At that moment, she hated Leah for pressuring her into joining this ridiculous dating site.

"_It's been months since that pansy fucker left. Get off your ass! Now!" Leah yelled, while dragging her out of the house to the nearest bar. _

"_No! I'm not done moping!" She struggled against the bitch she called her best friend. _

A slap to her cheek and twelve shots of tequila later they sang karaoke and made up. Like they always did. Leah was right anyway, not that she would admit it out loud. But, Bella didn't just want to go out to bars or clubs anymore. She wanted to get to know someone outside of that 'one night stand' scene. So, Leah told her about _findingsoulmates_, a dating website where she met Sam - her fiance'.

This was news to Bella, and it lead to another argument… more drinking… and crying and apologizing. She smiled to herself, if she didn't love Leah so much - and vice versa - they would make epic enemies.

Bella popped her neck, "Alright, I can do this. It's words. I'm good with words. Type…"

"Are you still on the same part?" Leah asked. The amazon looking wench had the nerve to smirk. Her quick texting paused for a beat, "Do you need help?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "No, thank you. I'd like to do this without the word 'fuck', 'shit', or 'twat' being tossed in every other sentence."

Leah snorted a laugh, "It's not my fault you're boring, dear."

Ignoring Leah, she decided to be straightforward and just get it done.

_username: bookworm87_

_Looking for: dating, long-term dating, soul mate_

_Likes: books, music, art, and many more. _

_Dislikes: arrogance, belittling, spicy foods, soap operas, popcorn, bad hygiene, etc. _

_Tell potential soul mates more about yourself: I'm new to online dating. I'd like to talk to someone, get to know them, and see where it goes. _

She clicked on the '_Save_' button before she changed her mind and deleted everything.

Leah, who got off the couch to hover and be nosy, pointed at the default image on the profile, "You forgot to add a picture."

"Fuck! I hate pictures. Why on God's green earth did I let you talk me into this?!" She banged her head on the desk and refused to look back up at the stupid screen.

"Move over. You're making this harder than it has to be." She pushed and nudged until the right side of her butt was on the chair with Bella. Some clicky noises later, and she giggled… Giggling Leah was bad.

"What did you do?" Bella looked up and saw the picture… of her, during the summer at La Push, in a bikini, "Lee! That's… inappropriate!"

Leah minimized the browser and held Bella's hand, "Listen, you need to break out of this shell you molded over yourself when you were dating the Emo. You're a great woman, smart, and I know you… this _person_ you turned into after Edweirdo left isn't you. The picture isn't inappropriate. It shows you having fun. It gives an insight to the real you." She hugged her, went to the kitchen, and resumed her texting - more than likely sexting - to Sam.

Bella stared at the screen, _again_. She peeked at Leah, then opened her profile page. _It wasn't that bad._ Besides, there are a lot of people on this site, she'd be lucky if she got a couple of responses.

_Right?_

* * *

**Side Notes:**

Un-beta'd-preread. Is that a word? Well, yeah, it's quick and dirty basically.

Drabble-style - AH - Rated M for language and situations.

I've had writer's block for a while. It sucks the big one. So, I'm beating down the cobwebs. Kinda? Maybe? Hopefully.

Fingers crossed and all that jazz.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Date One**

* * *

_From: sxydoc83_

_To: bookworm87_

_Interesting profile. Beautiful picture. I would like to get to know you. Would it be too forward to send you my phone number? My name is Carlisle, and you are?_

Bella gaped at the picture attached to the message… _since when did doctors look like that?_ Dr. Gerandy sure as hell didn't; he was as old as Methuselah. Leah cackled beside her, "Holy shit! That's one sexy doc alright. How old is he?"

She managed to stop drooling and scrolled through his profile, "Thirty. Single - the parenthesis explains _divorced._ No kids, and he lives in Port Angeles."

"Are you going to write back?"

"It would be rude not to?" In reality, she was still salivating over the picture. _Does he really look like that?_ He could be some crazy hermit posting a picture from his college days… she shuddered at that thought.

"Ask him to Skype. I can see the look on your face, I know what you're thinking."

"What am I thinking?" She bristled, annoyed at herself more than Leah.

"You're easy to read, sweet cheeks. Just ask sexy doc to Skype. Take a picture too." She laughed again.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Come on, it's fun and you know it."

Bella smiled…_ it was fun_… and if he looked like _that_? Well then she'd be an idiot to not go on at least one date.

* * *

They spoke for a couple of days on Skype. He looked even better, if that were possible. He had a nice voice, deep, manly, and he didn't cuss much. Occasionally a word would slip, but for the most part he was interesting. When he asked if they could go on a date, have a coffee, anything. She giggled like a teenager and said yes… _giggled?_ Yeesh. Who the hell was she, and where was the cynical, moody bitch?

Leah was there on one of the Skype sessions. That was mortifying. She kept showing up on the tiny screen, attempting to be incognito and failing miserably. Carlisle finally called her on it, chuckling at her roommate. She took a picture with her phone, told him he better behave himself, and she has photographic evidence if Bella goes missing.

Bella smoothed down her skirt, _I really have to get her to stop watching Law and Order on Netflix._ She checked herself in the mirror one more time, adjusting her blouse, and declared herself ready. They were meeting at a small restaurant on the docks. Somewhere public, but still with an intimate setting where they could talk and get to know each other.

* * *

"Do you work long hours?" Bella asked while taking a sip of her wine.

His blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at her. If she weren't sitting down, she would have swooned over by now. "I'm on call after work during the weekdays. On the weekends, I try to avoid being on call, if I can."

She tittered, the liquor clearly having an effect on her. "Your profile said divorced. What happened, if you don't mind me asking."

He took her small hand in his large one, his lips turned down in sadness, "Long story short, I caught her in bed with my friend."

Bella gasped and squeezed his fingers, "Oh… I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It was a few years ago, and I'm over it for the most part."

She nodded, and the air thickened with uneasy tension. A slow, sexy smile graced his lips, he leaned over the table, tugging her closer, "I'm really glad you decided to meet me."

Yes, she was swooning in her chair, and he smelled so good, and she really wanted to kiss him…

"_Are you fucking kidding me?!"_ a curly haired woman shrieked, yanking Carlisle back in his chair, away from her.

Bella was in shock… _Who in the world-_

The strange woman pushed Carlisle, and continued screaming, "Is this what you call working late, you lying piece of shit!"

He stood, dodging her hits, "It's not what you think, Es."

She stopped abruptly, and turned to glare at Bella. "Is he or is he not on a date, right now?"

"Uh… yes?" The wine was churning in her stomach from the adrenaline. Slowly, the pieces clicked together. She grabbed her glass and splashed the remainder of the pink liquid at Carlisle. "Jerk!"

The woman ignored Bella, picked up the basket of bread sticks, and threw it at her husband, "Asshole!" - next was the china flying at his head - "You told me you wouldn't do this again! Fuck you! I'm done!"

"Esme, wait!" He ran after her, leaving Bella with a mess, an angry waiter and the restaurant owner frowning at her… and of course, the bill to boot.

Disaster didn't begin to describe this horrific date. "Check please," she managed to say with the rest of her dwindling pride intact.

_Wait until Leah hears about this…_

* * *

**TBC **

(To Be Continued)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Date Two**

* * *

_From: jonesindy113_

_To: bookworm87_

_206 143 1222 Call me sometime. I'd love to go to an art showing with you._

* * *

"Don't let one bad date ruin this for you, woman." Leah said, frustrated with her best friend to no end.

"One bad date? Seriously, you're calling that embarrassing and surreal experience _bad_? That was worse than bad, Leelee, and you know it!" Bella stomped to the fridge to grab a soda.

Leah pinched the bridge of her nose, "Fine. It was terrible. Crazy. Horrific. And if I ever see Doc McSexy in a dark alley, it's on like Donkey Kong."

The straight face failed, and she burst out laughing. "It's not a joke."

"You think I'm kidding?" Leah's shocked expression made Bella laugh harder.

Eventually -after a pep talk that rivaled the one in _Fight Club _(Brad Pitt, anyone?)_-_ she wrote _jonesindy113 _back, asked for his name, and the best time to call. Leah congratulated her on not acting like a twat.

* * *

Sam came over a few days later with his friend, Paul. The man was luscious, even with the constant serious look on his gorgeous face. If she had to describe him, she would say sex… pure sex… chocolate, sex, strawberries, delicious. _Yum._

Bella nudged Leah, "Who is that, and why have I never met him before?"

"That's Paul. He's known Sam since they were in diapers. Lives on the Res. Casually involved with Jake's sister, Rachel…" she waited for the recognition on Bella's face. As much as she loved the girl, there were times when she wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box.

"Rachel… Jake… Billy Black? His kids?"

"Yep."

"I haven't seen them in a long time. And wow, Rachel hit the jackpot with that one… I bet he'd be even sexier if he smiled."

"Lahote doesn't smile. He smirks in a way that makes the women in his vicinity drop their panties."

"Lee!" Bella's face turned beet red.

She laughed, "You're so easy, Bells."

* * *

Bella heard back from _jonesindy113_, also known as Embry. They spoke on the phone for two hours. He was nice, sweet, and mature. She asked him for a picture, and he told her to follow him on _twitter_… odd, but what about this situation hasn't been a little odd?

Opening _twitter_, she searched for him under the same name as his _findingsoulmates _profile… He was cute. Tall, tan skin, and had that whole boy-next-door-thing down pat. The picture was a tad grainy, so she commented on it. He explained pixelization and sizes.

He asked to meet her at Starbucks. She loved their coffee, and readily agreed. Public place plus kick ass coffee was a winner in her book.

Leah asked if they had seen each other on Skype.

"No," she said, finishing the bow on her sneakers, "He doesn't have a webcam."

"Who doesn't have a webcam, but has a computer? This sounds fishy to me, Bella."

"You said give it a chance, so I am. If anything, I'll just come back home, like I did the _last _time."

"Fine. Take the 'protection'," she used air quotes, "from the Chief, and I swear if you get yourself killed by some crazed psycho, I'm coming after you."

"You do realize that makes no sense? Like none at all?"

Leah shooed her out of the bedroom, pepper spray and taser in Bella's hand, "It does to me."

* * *

She looked around the cafe', her phone in her palm with her _twitter _app on his page. He sent her a message a while ago telling her he was on his way… _where was he?_

"Bella?"

She recognized the voice, smiled, and turned around. "Hi. It's nice-" the words died on her lips as she took him in… this was _not _the guy from the picture. He was shorter, wider, and _balding_.

She coughed, distracting him from her blatant, stunned staring. "It's nice to meet you."

He showed her to their table, oblivious or just not giving a damn that he lied to her. When he went to order their coffee, she took her phone out of her pocket.

_I think Fate hates me._

Leah responded half a second later, _Oh, god. Now what?_

_Older. Shorter. Balder!_

In her mind, she could clearly see Leah tittering like a mad woman. _Lmfao! No! Seriously?!_

_Seriously. Help?_

_No way. I told you about that webcam shit. Deal with it. Luv u._

_Hate you._ She'd just pressed 'send' when Embry came back. "I hope you like frappucinos."

He talked and talked, while she looked at him… really looked at him... _My God, he was as old as the Chief. _

If she didn't know any better, she would have assumed that he read her mind. "So, you probably noticed that I don't look like the picture."

_Lie, act innocent, stop staring,_ she berated to her brain. It didn't work. Somewhere between the first _hello_ and the second mocha frappuccino, her filter abandoned her.

"Well, yes. I thought you looked… older…" she said carefully.

"That picture was from high school."

Bella was a smart woman, she figured that out on her own. He seemed to take her silence as a positive because the next thing she knew he was making plans for more dates.

"I really am sorry. I can't tell you how much this is making me feel like a shallow bitch, but I can't go on another date with you."

"It's because I'm short, isn't it?"

She snorted coffee out of her nose.

"I'm still taller than you. And I can go on a diet… maybe get some _Rogaine_," he explained with conviction.

Her face turned bright pink. She was trying, willing herself to not laugh. _Don't laugh, it's not funny, it's mean, don't laugh._ She excused herself to go to the restroom. There, Bella splashed cold water on her face and schooled her expression. _Be sincere, attraction is a good thing in relationships, do not feel bad because its not there… well, not too bad_.

He was waiting for her outside of the women's door, scaring her half to death. He opened his mouth to talk, she interrupted him. "It's not… you shouldn't have to change to be with someone. They should like you for you. You're nice, and sweet, and maybe if I was older…" - _don't lie, idiot_ - "Just... it's okay. I'm going to pay for my drinks. Good luck, Embry."

He begged for her to let him pay, to let him salvage some part of the date ending. She gave him a hug and wished him luck, sincerely, and told him to be himself the next time he goes on a date.

Securely in her truck, she texted the Chief, _If I beat up Leah, will you bail me out of jail?_

* * *

**TBC**

Still unbeta'd-pre-read. - beginning to like that word. ;)


End file.
